Sunday, 12 July 2009

Iced bakewell traybake

I know from my site stats that bakewell recipes are always popular and this one looked particularly inviting. This photo explains it far better than I ever could :

Sad maybe, but this is what I did on Friday night!

For something with only two ingredients white icing is supremely delicious. It goes so well with the dense, rich almond sponge. Bakewells have so much to offer – pastry, jam, sponge, icing.....mmm bakewells.

The CCM (Caked Crusader’s Ma) and I were discussing the joy of traybakes recently. A square cut from a traybake is somehow more tempting and exciting than many other cakes. It can’t just be down to the shape can it? I wonder if it’s the fact that however many pieces you cut it always looks like there’s lots left! (NB. I know that, in the strictest application of laws of the universe etc, it can't be true...but it seems like it!)

I end with a plea: has anyone else had trouble with blogger during the past week? I've had lots of error messages when trying to upload photos - they all begin with a BX reference number, and when I have uploaded photos it won't let me click and drag them into position (i.e. scrolling down through my post); I have to move them down a screen at a time...which takes ages. Is it blogger or me? Any ideas? I know you're a clever bunch so throw myself on your mercy!

How to make:- Start by making the pastry: place all the ingredients except for the egg yolks into the food processor and blitz until you have breadcrumbs.- Add the egg yolks and blitz again until the pastry just starts to form.- Turn out onto a sheet of clingfilm and bring together into a ball of pastry.- Flatten slightly, wrap in the clingfilm and chill.- Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.- Grease a deep tin measuring 30cm x 20cm. I used a small roasting tin .- Roll the pastry out between two sheets of clingfilm then use to line the prepared tin. Don’t worry if you need to patch the pastry – it’s very good natured.- Spoon the jam onto the pastry and spread out.- Now make the cake: beat the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.- Beat in the eggs one at a time adding 1 tablespoon of the ground almonds after each addition.- Stir in the flour, remaining ground almonds and the almond extract.- Spoon the mixture over the jam and level the surface.- Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the batter comes out clean. Mine took 42 minutes.- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.- Now make the icing: beat the icing sugar with 3 tablespoons water (you may need more, but start with 3) until you have a thick but spreadable icing.- Spread the icing over the top of the cake and place the glace cherries and flaked almonds on top before the icing sets.- Cut into squares.- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.- Eat.

23 comments:

I've admired quite a few bakewell tart type recipes online lately, but I have a feeling that this is the one I might actually get around to trying. The tray bake thing is a winner, I think, though not really sure why! :D PS I haven't had any blogger problems this week. Hope you get it sorted.

I've been ogling so many Bakewell tarts, lately. I have a weakness for anything with almond flavor. Your tray cake (AKA American sheetcake) looks so much easier. I'll have to convert this to American measurements, but I think this is very worthy of my own attempt.Thanks for posting this!As for Blogger, I had a few problems this morning. But, I just refreshed the page, and all seemed well.Debby

I know what you mean about traybakes and square pieces of cake. The last cake I made I deliberately converted to a square tin so I could have square pieces instead of wedges. I don't know why, but they just seemed more inviting! Love the bakewell theme too - wish I could eat almonds though!

Sorry, can't help you with blogger - touch wood it seems to have been ok for me lately.

I love big cakes in big pans and I think you're right, that it does have something to do with the appearance of a never-ending supply of gorgeous chunky blocks. My mouth watered looking at your photos and I have yet another addition to my pile of things I print from your site and ogle with my coffee.

Had some problems with Blogger when I first switched to Google Chrome but nothing since. You may want to search for the error in their help section; they've got whizzes who post that have solved every problem I've ever had.

Mmmm, I love Bakewell Tart even though I'm a heathen and don't like cherries - usually make with Raspberry jam, yum yum.

I agree! There's something really appealing about tray bakes. I also make a lot of 'loaf' cakes too for the same reasons, even though I don't actually know what those reasons are ;) Only time I make a 'normal' round cake (bar cupcakes) is when I make my fruit cake at Christmas. Kinda weird when I think of it, hehe.

As for Blogger, I've not had any problems myself however I'm a lurker on a bunch of blogs and have seen a number of people comment about the picture uploading so not just you - seems to be an intermittent thing.

I love your blog and everything looks so good. I would love to make some of the recipe's on your site but dont know how to convert to U.S. Measurments. Do you know if there is a site for this? I would just love to make this Bakewell!Thanks

Thanks for your lovely comment. I always use this conversion site when I need to convert:http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking#subsI like it because it takes into account the different densities, volumes and weights of ingredients which a lot of conversion sites don't.Happy baking!

What a delightful looking bakewell. Can't help with the blogger issues I'm afraid - I have plenty of my own which take ages to sort, and in the worst case scenario, I just shut down and hope that tomorrow will be better.

Your bakewell traybake recipe looks great and is a recipe I will definiteley be trying.Can you recommend the best place to buy a "traybake" tin (9x12) - I recently made a lemon drizzle traybake (http://burningandbaking.blogspot.com/) and I am looking for a suitable tin to make similar bakes again?Thanks so much!

Read this great novel!

Look at this great website

Follow my ambitious attempt to find a recipe for a cake, biscuit, pie or tart for every single one of the 39 traditional English counties!

The Caked Crusader and Boy Wonder

Cartoon by Cakeyboi

About Me

So, the answer to the question you’re all asking: who am I? Well, a superhero never reveals their identity. I think it’s stated somewhere in the contract when you sign up for superhero-dom. Let’s just call me THE CAKED CRUSADER. By day (and night if I’m being honest) a mild-mannered City professional, but at weekends I become THE CAKED CRUSADER. Tirelessly fighting anti-cake propaganda and cake-related injustices – for SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, ALWAYS NEEDS CAKE (we’ll just skip over the fact that it’s usually me).

Batman’s got the batmobile, batcave etc. Superman does just great what with being able to fly and being really strong. Spiderman’s got that web thing going on. But I have better than them. For I have a credit card and could get one of these:

The purpose of my blog is simple – to spread the word that CAKE IS GOOD.Yes, it is calorific; that is why it tastes so nice.Yes, too much of it is bad for you; that’s what ‘too much’ means.Yes, we’re all told to eat healthily and we know that we should. But ask yourself this – and look very deeply into your soul before answering – when has a cup of tea and a carrot ever cheered you up? However, put that carrot into a cake and happiness will ensue. Quod erat demonstrandum – CAKE IS GOOD.

This site will catalogue cakes I have unleashed unto the world and my thoughts thereon.

By the way, I will never recommend how many portions you should get out of a cake because we’re all different. Plus, it will be very embarrassing when I say it serves 4 and you get 20 portions out of it.

WARNING: Too much time spent on this blog may cause hunger.

Privacy notice

The Caked Crusader blog does not share personal information with third-parties, nor does it store or use information collected about your visit to the site other than to analyse content performance. I am not responsible for the republishing of the blog’s content on other websites or media without my permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice.

Cake Achievement in Film and Television Arts (CAFTA)

Have you seen a cake in a film or tv show that deserves recognition? Has a cupcake upstaged a beefcake?

If so, please let me know and that cake could win a coveted CAFTA award. Email me your suggestions, with a photo of the cake if possible.

About Me

I am a 40-something Chartered Accountant working in the square mile.
My main hobbies at the moment are baking, and setting the world record for the number of cake tins owned by one person.
I spend far too much time watching Spongebob Squarepants and would love to try a Krabby Patty...I know, I know - it's not real.